Review of Battle-Tested Love by Lynda Bailey

[Barbara Ann RS]

Escape, not love, is the only thing on Darcy Williams’ mind when she gets kidnapped and taken out of Carson City, Nevada by a handsome but dangerous-looking man who takes her car to get to his intended destination, Oregon.  However, everything changes, when her abductor becomes her protector and saves her from the clutches of some lecherous men with plans to harm Darcy.

 Ben Gallegher doesn’t need Darcy, only her car, but he isn’t the type of man to walk away from a woman being hurt, even though intervening may thwart his plans to reach his sister, Ava whose life has been threatened.  When Ben intervenes and attacks the men, giving Darcy the chance to escape to safety, she realizes that Ben isn’t the bad guy he appears to be, and she believes whatever he’s done must be for a good reason. The tables turn when Darcy rescues a severely beaten Ben and decides to help him even though aiding him may make her an accessory to his crimes as well.

 Darcy and Ben are two well-developed, very likeable characters who gained my compassion and support very early in the book, in part because the story is narrated from both of their POVs. Darcy is feisty, and she challenges Ben at every turn, refusing to be a passive victim. Ben likes her tenacity but refuses to let her deter him from getting to Ava, and Darcy can’t seem to stop the strong physical reaction she has around Ben, aka Mr. Hottie, even though he did take her against her will and is running from police. In another time, another place, under much different circumstances both privately imagine being in a relationship. Their time together shows they are good for each other’s self-esteem and they work to help each other overcome personal insecurities.

 Although Ben and Darcy initially fight the attraction they have for each other because of their precarious circumstances, they eventually give in to their desire during the brief down time Ben needs to heal before he can travel again. Darcy knows her time with Ben will soon come to an end and most likely she will never see him again. She wants to be close to him, and their first time together surprised me by the unexpected outcome. However, I like that Darcy puts her emotional feelings aside and continues to do whatever she can to help Ben because she believes it’s the right thing to do.

 The danger escalates as they get closer to Oregon, leading to a very suspenseful climactic situation that ends up separating them much earlier than I anticipated. From this point on, the action fizzles out and focuses more on how the previous events have made Darcy a much stronger young woman, willing to finally stand up to her domineering family. I really enjoyed this book until the end.  Although some readers may like the conclusion, I felt the story wrapped up much too quickly, and some aspects of the book are still unresolved, such as Ava’s situation.  Will her story be continued in the next book, since this is a series?  I really hope so because it’s one I’d like to read.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Full Review Posted at

http://sunmountainreviews.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/book-tour-review...